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Generation Y misunderstood, study finds

Today’s managers are not the selfish "what’s in it for me" generation, despite many believing them to be so.

By Ash Dobanjh, 24 May 2012 at 19:12

The successors of Generation X have a committed attitude to work, according to a new report.

The Chartered Management Institute sent an electronic questionnaire to 10,000 of its members aged under 35 and received a total of 862 responses.

The survey, which looked into the level of aspirations, working styles and motivations of today’s younger managers in the IT sector, found that the aptly named Generation Y, loosely defined as people born between 1978 and 1994, were on the whole selfless and focused on their long-term job prospects.

A meagre 14 per cent of respondents said they would leave their current employment if they won the National Lottery, while only seven per cent think there is no point being excessively loyal to an employer.

The survey revealed that 50 per cent of IT sector workers would work in the evenings, 43 per cent at the weekends and 29 per cent when they’re travelling if it meant that it would help their career.

Meanwhile, 83 per cent of workers were attracted to jobs offering them development and long-term career prospects, with just 26 per cent of respondents focused on pay.

The survey also found that Generation Y are idealistic in their working habits, with 85 per cent claiming they would want to work for an organisation that does something they believe in and 62 per cent asserting they would only work for organisations with strong values.

Director of marketing and corporate affairs at the Chartered Management Institute Jo Causon said that although the survey shows that Generation Y aren’t self-centred, employers need to make sure this does not become a reality.

“Generation Y has been dismissed as self-centred, yet the evidence shows that this is not the case. Overall there is a strong desire to develop at work and enjoy their job, with inability to progress a strong negative for them.

“Yet, at the same time, busy individuals working long hours can quickly become demotivated and leave. In an era where skills are at a premium, organisations need to be aware of this and act before it becomes reality.”